Computer devices exist which are considered to display content to a user on demand. For example, subscription services allow a user to select particular television channels which are made available to a user device on which a user can view the channels. Viewing of the channels can be subject to payment. When subject to payment, access to the content is controlled by determining whether or not the user has made a payment for the content and as such is permitted to view it. In a subscription service content can be live/linear. Other on-demand content is available, such as, On-Demand TV which allows individual programmes to be begun at the viewer's leisure.
Other types of content are also available on demand, for example, downloaded or streamed to a user following suitable payment, as with On Demand TV or pay per view (PPV).
When using their devices nowadays, users are subject to potentially a very large amount of what is referred to as herein “auxiliary content”. This is used to reference content which is not actually requested by a user but which is nevertheless directed to a user and played out at a user device (whether or not the user wants it). User devices include media players, such as digital video players, which are designed to play out at a screen or other output element of a user device auxiliary content which is received at that device in addition to content selected by a user.
Although users have not requested auxiliary content, they are generally tolerant of receiving and playing out a certain amount of auxiliary content, particularly where the receipt and play-out of that auxiliary content means that the user does not have to pay for the content that they did desire to receive. Auxiliary content can be provided in many different forms, including video content, static image, text based content, audio content. Although the present document is focussed mainly on the play-out of full media (video and audio) content, it will be appreciated that other forms of content are also available.